Cream cheese icing

Directions

Heat oven to 180C. Cream butter with caster sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, incorporating fully after each. Add vanilla bean paste and fold in lemon zest and juice.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to butter in stages, folding in gently as you go. Add ⅓ cup of warm milk, more if required, to create a batter with a nice drop consistency.

Line large or medium-sized muffin pans with appropriate sized cupcake liners. Spoon in mixture to ¾ fill the liners. Bake for 20 minutes or more (depending on size) until they have risen and a cake skewer comes out clean. Cool before icing.

To make icing, beat cream cheese with creme fraiche until smooth. Add enough plum or berry compote to taste and colour. Spread or pipe on to cupcakes. Drizzle with a little more compote and top with crushed pistachio nuts to serve.

From the farm

From the pantry

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